Southampton decision-makers are divided over the future of manager Russell Martin ahead of this weekend’s bottom-of-the-table clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers, talkSPORT have suggested.
The report says that while the 38-year-old retains the support of Sport Republic sporting director Rasmus Ankersen, owner Dragan Solak is less convinced and has grown impatient with results this season.
The pressure – from outside sources at least – was growing on the Saints boss ahead of last Saturday’s Premier League match against Everton at St Mary’s, with the south coast outfit coming into the fixture without a win in their nine top flight games following promotion from the Championship.
However, Adam Armstrong’s 85th-minute winner handed Martin and the club a much-needed 1-0 win and three points which lifted them off the foot of the table, where they were replaced by this weekend’s opponents, Wolves.
It was Saints’ second victory in the space of a few days following their League Cup triumph over Stoke City, which came on the back of four successive defeats to Bournemouth, Arsenal, Leicester City and Manchester City.
Goals remain hard to come by though and Gary Lineker believes the club’s lack of firepower could seriously hamper their survival chances.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Southampton have scored the fewest goals in the Premier League this season – 7 in 10 matches.
Wanderers are still without a victory to their name and will be looking to achieve that at the 11th attempt at Molineux on Saturday, in what is clearly a huge encounter for both teams.
It could potentially be decisive for the futures of both managers too, with the same talkSPORT article reporting that Wolves will consider O’Neil’s future if they don’t beat Southampton.
While Martin may have a little more breathing space after last weekend’s win, it also looks to be vitally important that the south coast side take at least something home with them given they face Liverpool, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Tottenham in their next five Premier League games.
Out-of-work Graham Potter is one of the managers linked with Southampton should the axe fall on Martin anytime soon, while Jamie O’Hara suggested on talkSPORT that another potential candidate in David Moyes would unlikely have any interest in taking over at St Mary’s.
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